You knew it was coming — Lexus kicks offer their annual December to Remember event in the US with their Red Bow commercials. Have no fear, this year’s crop is especially excellent:

Very well done.

Given the economic climate and overall auto market meltdown, it’s no surprise that a slightly different tact was taken. Getting a car for Christmas is probably a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people, and these commercials capture that feeling with great success (though I think they should have substituted an IS-F for that ES).

Lexus of Tulsa is in the process of building a new dealership building, and employee Austin Colbert decided to commemorate the event with this photo:

Edited for clarity: It reminds me of my ‘94 LS valet key, but commenters have told me valet keys are now grey and this is now the standard key design. Still, it makes me want to geek out and assemble a timeline of key styles.

Every year, the JM Lexus dealership in South Florida sponsors the Lexus/Supra Mega Meet, a two day event set up for enthusiasts to both check out and show off some custom rides.

To mark the occasion, JM Lexus put together a heavily modified IS 350, featuring not only every F-Sport accessory available but also a full reworking of the interior & exterior.

Anthony Barbosa of JM Lexus filled me in on the details:

Originally this project vehicle was designed for the purpose of the Mega Meet and advertising for the dealership. The main goal of this project was to be able to showcase what we here at JM Lexus could do in house…we are excited to be able to make our Lexus customers get their own unique/personalized vehicles all done in house.

What’s more, the IS 350 was sold long before it made its Mega Meet debut, selling for a price of $96,000 (!!!). (Of course, looking at the full list of mods minimizes the sticker shock quite a bit.)

For the full effect, Anthony was also kind enough to send me a number of photos, including some taken during the build:

Exterior Modifications:

1. Custom Two-tone Paint Pearl White Factory White With The Top Half Is-f Blue
2. Custom Black Solid Hand Painted Stripe
3. Lexus Oem Ground Effects
4. Custom Lexus “IS” Painted Factory Grille And Badges

Interior Modifications:

1. Custom Leather White Inserts
2. Custom Black Headliner And Pillar Posts
3. Llmar ATX Window Tint

Electronic Upgrades:

1. JL Audio 500/1v2 Amplifier
2. JL Audio G6600 Amplifier
3. Two JL Audio C-5 6 1/2 Component Speakers
4. Two 10″ W3v3 Subwoofers
5. Custom Fiberglass Enclosure Painted To Match
6. Custom Trunk Lid Cover w/ Two Monitors And F-Sport Logo
7. Embroidering F-Sport Into Stock Floor Mat
8. PS3 In Trunk
9. Front Video Conversion
10. Rossen Dual Headrest Monitors
11. Rossen ½ Din Dvd Player In Glove Box

Mechanical Modification:

1. F-Sport Engine Cover
2. F-Sport Brake Upgrades Front And Rear
3. F-Sport Exhaust System
4. F-Sport Performance Air Intake
5. F-Sport Shock Set
6. F-Sport Lowering Springs
7. F-Sport Rear Chassis Member Brace
8. F-Sport Sway Bar Set
9. MHT Mantra Chrome Wheels 19″ W/ Custom Powder Coating
10. Pirelli P-zero Nero 235/35/19 Front, 265/30/19 Rears High Performance Tires

According to The Manila Standard, Lexus will begin sale in the Philippines starting in January 2009:

Alfred Ty, son of the business tycoon George Ty, told reporters the company is set on October to break ground for the only Lexus showroom in country within the Metrobank’s property in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig.

The Lexus showroom will rise on a 4,500-square meter property. It will house the brand’s internal offices, stockyard and service center.

Ty said the company was prepared to import the full line of Lexus models in the country, namely LS 460 full-size luxury sedan, GS 460 midsize luxury sports sedan, IS 350 compact premium sedan and LX 570 sports utility vehicle.

Prices of the models range from P4 million to P8 million each, or approximately the same cost as a high-end residential condominium in Makati or Fort Bonifacio.

Strangely, I found this article from the Manila Times claiming that the groundbreaking ceremony was held back in December 2007, so it’s a little unclear just where development stands. Regardless, both articles claim the dealership will open in January 2009.

Lexus Chile has honored me by featuring my LS 400 in their history timeline:

My photo:

I’m not entirely sure why my ‘94 LS is filed under 2001, but you won’t catch me complaining.

Toyota’s Open Road blog has posted a short audio interview of Lexus General Manager Mark Templin & Toyota President Jim Lentz discussing the company’s low sales in June and what it means for the car maker:

Here’s an interesting excerpt from GM Templin on Lexus moving forward:

The good news is that we retained our position as the #1 selling luxury brand, so we feel like we’re doing a pretty good job in a really tough market of doing the best we can do to take care of customers and make profits. We’re also excited about the next couple of months, because all of a sudden, we’re going to enhance our incentive programs a little bit, and we’ll begin our summer sales event on July 25th, which always gives us a big boost during the month of August. And, I think we’ll make it through some tough times in the luxury industry, and we’re doing it in a way that’s going to support the growth of Lexus in 2009 and beyond.”

The #1 position in the US luxury car market is obviously a very important distinction, and one that Lexus is going to fight tooth and nail to maintain. As noted this weekend, Lexus currently has a 5,198 unit advantage over second-place BMW, so it’s still anyone’s guess just how 2008 is going to play out.